I’ve been working hard on my latest project, and it’s starting to look like a game! Yay! Here’s a look at stage 1-1 as it currently stands. Music (which isn’t part of the game) by Kevin MacLeod at Incompetech.

Hi, everyone! I am still here and working on Homicidal Jenny. But about a month ago, I finally got Game Maker 2. It’s a lot different from 1.4; I pretty much ran away screaming the first time I opened it. :p

But I did eventually get back to it and I’m trying to familiarize myself with all the new stuff. Since this could take a while (and I have a full-time job again), I guess I’m aiming for a “Sometime in 2019” release date now.

Anyway, that’s it for now. Maybe I’ll have something more exciting to share later.

Hi, Everyone! That new project I mentioned is finally set up. I call it Ephemera: Blogging through Games. I’ve posted two new projects there to get things started. One is a new Twine game about procrastination, and the other (believe it or not) is an RPG Maker-based spiritual follow-up to The Choice, which was my very first attempt at making a game. When I made The Choice, I tried as hard as I could to make it uplifting or encouraging or whatever. This time, I just let the story tell itself–and more with actions and images than words.

Hi, everyone! I know I haven’t updated the site recently, but I’m definitely working on stuff. The obvious one is Homicidal Jenny, but I’m also setting up a new site especially for short personal projects that don’t always fit in with what some people might call games. Most of the content will be Twine stories along with the occasional RPG Maker piece. And I don’t want to open up the site empty, so I’m putting together some new [very short] games to post there beforehand.

The new site will be open when it’s open. ;p I hope you enjoy it when it is. In the meantime, though, I’m still here, I’m still creating, and I’ll likely have something new for you within the next couple of weeks.

After finally overhauling the code for this thing to turn it into something sensible and making some feature tweaks, I figured I might as well show people what I’ve been working on. It’s going to be a while before the game is ready, but this should give you some idea of how it’ll play. (And while the placeholder graphics do look kind of neat, no, they’re not staying. ;p) Enjoy!

Hi, Everyone! I’m still dealing with some life stuff and working on some non-game projects, but I’m kinda getting my mojo back and I do have a big project underway that IS going to happen — eventually. :p (Somewhat helpfully, I’ve at least decided that dealing with Unity isn’t worth the effort yet for what I want to do. Like the possibilities; loathe the interface.) So I might as well post some concept art I’ve been holding on to. If you follow my Twitter, you might’ve seen it already. If not, this is new.

I’m planning to update this artwork later, but it’ll do for now. Others will be coming over the next few weeks. Still not planning to name the game until it’s somewhat playable. ;p

Note: I originally offered this game for $3.99 but again, the main thing I want right now is just for people to enjoy my work (especially when it’s on such a personal topic) and hopefully share it with their friends. Like all the rest, it’s donationware now — which means that while you can get, play it and keep it for free, donations are always welcome.

Hi, everyone! I know it’s been a while, but I am still here and working on stuff. And I’m working on it quite a bit more than I have been for some time.

I left my day job a few weeks ago. Money is a bit tighter now and I know I’ll probably have to get something at least part-time soon, but right now… I’m happy. I just want to enjoy being happy and doing work I love, even if I’m not getting paid yet (though getting paid would be really nice) and even if no one is watching. As for what I’m working on, right now, it’s a project I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while: an updated version of She Who Fights Monsters. This will be a paid version, and I’ll try to make worth it.

I’ve migrated the game over from RPG Maker VX Ace to MV, which means I can make it multiplatform now. An Android version is in the offing as is an updated Windows version, probably one for Mac, and possibly one for Linux. The Windows update will come first; the others will be released when/if I sort out how to do them properly.

A lot of the graphics have been redone and some areas have been completely overhauled. Some gameplay elements I wasn’t quite satisfied with have been tweaked. Some music has been changed. Most of the bugs in the base game have been worked out, and not just ones the from the original version. The MV migration introduced a lot of super-fun new ones. :p As I add and change more stuff, I’m trying to keep on the look out for any further unwanted surprises.

The biggest change, though, is that I’d like to add a Free Day/New Game Plus mode that becomes accessible after you beat the game. Poor little Jenny has been through so much. It would be nice to give her free run of the house for a bit–and maybe a chance to complete some imaginary adventures she didn’t get to enjoy before.

Finally, some screenshots from the old and new versions. Like I said: there have been changes. And more are in the making.

The Temple (Old Version)

The Temple (New Version)

Old sideview battle

New sideview battle

Get a chance to see Jenny grown up

(As for why I’m working on this and not my other project, the honest answer is that 1)I want to do it, so why not and 2)it won’t take nearly as long to maybe earn some money from this–even if it’s just pizza funds–as it would if I made something starting from scratch. Hopefully, this and another potential remake will help make other games more feasible. And if not, at least I tried.)

I know there are a handful of people who like what I do. I’m happy to have those people. But the simple fact is almost no one plays my games. The one I’m working on is vastly different from anything else I’ve done… but Raziel was vastly different from the ones that came before it, and it basically got no attention since it couldn’t be readily linked to an issue or cause. (Though a friend did do a Let’s play of it. Thanks, Friend. :)) What I’m working on is even more “just for fun” than Raziel was (and probably less unique in gameplay terms), but it’s going to be an action-y game instead of RPG Maker. The latter might give it a boost; the former might doom it to even greater obscurity, especially without the media connections that would bring people to it. I also hate this feeling I get that I have to make games about IMPORTANT SOCIAL ISSUES for people to think they’re worth mentioning or playing. And I do know it’s possible that what I do just isn’t that special.

Basically, I’m trying to figure out what I want from all this and how much effort is worth it. I have other projects going, too, namely writing–and writing is my first love, something I’d do anyway whether or not anyone sees it. In fact, for some time now, “or not” is mainly what I’ve done. :p Maybe it helps that the results and rewards of writing seem more instant while game development (especially the kind that takes a lot of pre-planning) takes more patience before you get anything useful, especially when you have to learn a new dev tool to get going.

I’m pretty sure I’ll finish the game just to prove to myself that I can. And besides, it’s the kind of game I’d like to play. I just don’t see what difference it makes if it’s next month, next year, or next decade. So I probably won’t be posting much about it for a while.